Unbalanced Distortion
by Lombardia Dragoncraft
Summary: Ch. 2 up! A new force is threatening Gaia, and Hitomi must enlist the help of a being who has hidden in the background, waiting for the right time to reveal itself. But this distortion may not only threaten Gaia, but all of existance as well...
1. Threat Reawakened

AN:// Hello people! Welcome to Distortion, my first fan fiction! I do hope this goes well, as I'm not used to writing any of my passing thoughts down. Well, here goes! Hope I don't bore anyone.

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any related characters. I own a copy of the entire series on VHS English Dub, so don't get mad for any mistakes. Don't sue either; you'll only get a poster for Escaflowne the movie and three cents. This disclaimer refers to this whole story, however long it may be. Kala, Typhoon, and all related characters belong to me, so don't use them without permission!

AN: Oh! And Dilly's still here in this story; he was given a body of his own before the final battle, so he's still in Zaibach, or the remains of it. Folkie, Naria, and Eria are all alive too; I like them too much -_-. Folken is the new leader of Zaibach, but Van doesn't know he's alive yet.

Summary: Long ago, the citizens of Atlantis created a machine that turned wishes into reality. The universe needed a balance of order and entities, a single core with great power of light, and a great darkness. When the balance was weakened by the machine when it overloaded, the entities were greatly weakened, and forced to hide away until their powers returned. The darkness fled to Gaia, where it hid itself among the cracks in the new planet's shell. The light, also known as the Tsubasa no Kami, split herself in two and entered the life/death cycle of humans, to be reborn when needed. Now, the darkness has begun to stir, and both halves must unite to stop chaos's reign.

Key: = Time Skip

------------------- = Place change

_Italics _means thoughts

"     " means speech

/     / means telepathic communication

*    * means radio/ telephone

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~     Chapter One:  Threat Reawakened     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

--------------------------------------------Miami, Florida---------------------------------------------

Dear Escaflowne:

Today's finds are incredible. Dr. Sycimore believes to have found evidence of a whole new culture off the tip of Florida. This place is very humid, and quite uncomfortable. The finding is actually an Atlantian outpost. I can't tell anyone that, of course, or I'll be shipped back to Japan and placed in an insane asylum-especially if I say how I know. 

Oh, Dr. Sycimore, I happen to have been transported to another planet a few years back, and learned that Atlantians had wings and I could read their writing. Did I mention I'm psychic?

That wouldn't go over very well, especially in a scientific field like this. Oh, well. My link with Van seems to be weakening…I can feel his emotions when I reach for them, but I can't see him any more. I hope

"Hitomi!" 

            The brown-haired young woman snaps her journal shut and turns to the voice that called her. A young man, 22-23 years of age is jogging toward her.

"Oh, hey Josh. What's up?"

"What's up? Are you nuts? This could be the greatest find of the century and you're off doodling in your diary! As an intern, you need to start pulling your own weight around here!"

            Hitomi rolled eyes. "So says the guy who sleeps 'till noon. Besides, it's too hot, and your father said that he was giving us the weekend off."

Josh Sycimore blushed. "So? It's not the weekend yet!"

"It's 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night."

"…oh. Well, how about your and me, tomorrow, go see Disney world or something?"

            Hitomi smiled. "That's sweet of you to offer, but I'm heading up to Cape Canaveral. I've always wanted to see it, even if it takes all day to get there."

"We're just south of Miami, and I'll take you, if you'd like, 'cause you don't have a car."

            Hitomi's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I couldn't-"

"It's fine! In fact, I insist."

            Josh was stubborn. "I'm taking you to Cape Canaveral first thing in the morning!"

"…thank you."

            Josh blushed.

-----------------------------------Cape Canaveral Air Force Station--------------------------------

            The inside of the hanger was cold and dark. There was a single plane in the darkness, larger than most, with an oddly shaped wingspan. A single figure stood in the darkness, looking up at the plane. A feminine voice rang through the hanger from the figure. "Soon, Typhoon, we will have a worthy opponent. I can feel it in my bones. The other half approaches, as well, but most of her power is still suppressed. I'll have to fix that."

            A strange light begins to glow from the base of the craft's wings, as if it was answering the woman. A faint hum accompanies the glow. The shadowy woman chuckled. "I'm sure you will, my friend. And no, you can't come with me. I'll be back soon enough." The figure turns and walks away from the craft. She opens a personnel door and walks outside. In the light, the woman looks to be 20-23 years old, standing at about 5'7". She has crystal green eyes and her golden brown hair had silver streaks through it. She cast one last look toward the craft before closing the door.

------------------------------------------------Fanelia---------------------------------------------------

            The raven-haired king is sitting on sill of a large window, looking up at the Mystic Moon, while clutching a teardrop-shaped pendant. 

"Hitomi, where are you? I'll never forget you, but why can't I see you?"

            Sensing no answer, Van let the stone fall with a sigh.

"Van-sama! You have a visitor!"

            Merle burst into the room with as much energy as usual. She had matured nicely over the past six years, and her hair went down to the small of her back. The king was taller, but hadn't changed much otherwise. Merle had discarded the dress, opting instead for one of Van's old red shirts and a maroon knee-length length skirt. Van looked up at the blond knight that had entered the room behind the cat-woman. 

"Allen! What are you doing here? Your appointed check-ins are for another four days."

            The knight's expression was somber. "Actually, Van, I'm here with a message from Austuria requesting your presence at a meeting of all countries leaders with Austuria hosting."

"What's the occasion?"

"Apparently, several conveys from Freid, Bazram, Goddeshem, and Egzardia have gone missing, and everyone wants to find out why." The blond knight said with a sigh.

"So? Isn't that the merchant's problem, then?" Van snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes. "There's something you're not telling me, is there?"

The taller man looked uncomfortable. "Well…"

"What?"

"The main reason the meeting has been called is because Zaibach wants to call a truce and become allies with Fanelia, Austuria, and Freid."    

"WHAT! Are they nuts? Do they really think that we will accept any of their requests after what they almost did?" Van was very angry.

"Well. Dornkirk is dead. Maybe the new ruler wants to patch up his damage, and was against his whole plan. They have promised a share in their technology," Allen said, trying to calm the hot-headed king down.

"Do you honestly believe that?!" It wasn't working. "They're probably just trying to get all the leaders responsible for their downfall into one place to get revenge! You can't trust Zaibachians!" Van was in a rage, stomping back and forth in front of the window.

Allen sighed. _This isn't going well. "Van, there will be safety precautions, and I believe Zaibach has very little to gain from such an attack. With what little remains of their forces, an attack would be suicide. Calm down." He stood up and seized the young king's shoulder. "You're making me dizzy."_

"Sorry." The king sat on the sill again. They sat in silence, watching the moons. As a cloud drifted over them, Allen spoke.

"How is she?"

            Van sighed. "She is doing well enough. She's often busy and I'm sure that she is just distracted."

"Distracted? What makes you think that?"

"Nothing, it's just, our link seems to be getting weaker by the day. I-I'm afraid that she's forgetting about me."

"Who could possibly forget you, even if they wanted to?"

"Hey!"

            Allen grinned at the glare sent his way. "I take it you're coming?"

"Fine. Don't expect me to be polite to the Zaibach representatives if I don't have to, though."

"Wouldn't dream of it. See you next week, then, your highness." With that, the knight strode out the way he came. Merle, who had been sitting quietly in the corner of the room, spoke up.

"What was all that about?"

            Van was staring into space. "Never forget…"

-------------------------------------------------Zaibach-------------------------------------------------

"Have you gone insane? You actually want to make a truce with them?"

"You're hardly the one to talk Dilandau, but I have to say I agree. Milord, what are you thinking? They have done such damage to us, and we to them, I hardly see them welcoming us into their alliance with open arms."

"Calm yourself Adelphos, Naria and Eria will prevent them from killing us on the spot. I will not make the same mistake Dornkirk did. I have looked through his fate telescope and what I have seen concerns all of Gaia."

"Dragon shit! You may be the new emperor of Zaibach, Folken, but do you think that that alone will get anyone to listen to you? Honestly." 

"Perhaps. Perhaps I am wrong, and we go through with my plan and are captured and executed. But if I am right and we don't, everyone will fall to the darkness I saw. We stand no chance against it alone. Even with an alliance with the other countries of Gaia, We will be overrun."

"Then what is the purpose of this meeting? How do you plan on dealing with this darkness milord?"

"Yes, _Emperor Folken, how do you plan on keeping us alive?"_

"With hope."

"Hope?"

"_Hope?"_

"Yes. Hope that my little brother can still call for help."

--------------------------------------------Cape Canaveral---------------------------------------------

"Thanks again for driving me here, Josh. I really appreciate it." Hitomi smiled at Josh, which brought a blush to his cheeks.

"S-sure thing, Hitomi. But why did you want to come here? Surely there are other places that you would rather be than a launch site for space shuttles." Josh drove up to the security booth and paid for parking.

            Hitomi sighed, looking out the window to where she was sure Gaia hung in the sky. "I've always been interested in space exploration. You know, looking for life on another planet, that sort of thing. I was torn between getting a job working at a space program or working on digs. Then I realized that even if I did work in space program, I would never be an astronaut. So I put my abilities to use here."

"I'm glad you did. You always seem to find the most important artifacts. It's like you have a sixth sense or something." Josh pulled into a space and turned off the engine.

            Hitomi let out a nervous giggle. "Sixth sense. Right." _If only he knew. Some of the pendant's power must have rubbed off on me. I still haven't touched my tarot cards since I came back from Gaia, but I still have visions sometimes. That's how I know where everything was at the dig and how I knew that it was an Atlantian outpost. _"Stupid visions," she muttered to herself. 

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Hitomi was suddenly hit by the strangest vibe, as if her third eye was looking into infinity. She stumbled, and the feeling lessened, but was still there.

            Josh had seen her stumble. "You ok?" Concern was etched into his tone.

            Distracted, Hitomi replied that she was fine, and tried to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from. Picturing her pendant in her mind, she allowed it to swing and closed her eyes.

"Hitomi?"

            The pendant swung to the right. Hitomi's eyes snapped open and her head turned. She spotted a shadow disappear behind a building. Instinct taking over, she gave chase, following the figure's aura. The trail was easy enough to follow, but no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't catch up with the figure. She could catch occasional glimpses of the figure, and knew it to be wearing jeans and a silver-grey jacket. She couldn't tell the figure's gender, but she guessed it to be female for the mid-back length silver-streaked golden-brown hair.

"Hitomi!" Josh panted, unable to keep up with the track star. He soon lost track of her altogether. "She better have an explanation for this," he muttered, heading back to the car.

            Hitomi continued to chase the figure, yet despite her speed was unable to close the distance. The figure turned the corner of a building. Hitomi turned about three seconds later. It was a dead end, and no one was there.

 "Wha..?" _People can't just disappear like that. Not even in Zaibach.  Hitomi focused on her pendant once more. The pendant swung in a circle, then stilled. __What? Why did it stop? That wasn't supposed to happen!_

"That won't work on me."

            Hitomi whirled. The young woman was leaning casually against the side of the building, not even looking out of breath. "How did you get behind me? And why won't it work? Wait, how did you know what I was doing?"

"Questions, questions, questions. You certainly are a curious one, Hitomi."

"How do you know my name?"

            The woman sighed, and pushed off of the wall. "I will answer all of your questions, but first, let's go somewhere more private. You're not allowed here. Come." She took out a key, and unlocked a door Hitomi hadn't seen. The two girls slipped into the hanger.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

AN://  So?  You like it?  Hate it?   Tell me!  However , flamers will be ignored if they do not have a valid excuse for flaming, so that I may correct it.  Please review!  The faster I get reviews, the sooner I'll post the next chapter.  Oh, and can anyone tell me if I got the names of the minor countries right?  Arigato!

Ja ne!

Lombardia Dragoncraft


	2. Storytelling and Questions Answered

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Chapter Two

Story Telling and Questions Answered

- - - - Palace of Asturia - - - -

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that."

"Calm down.  It's not like we're waiting for a messenger to tell us we've won or lost a battle," the King of Asturia said to the younger ruler.

"That messenger might not be so far off, Dryden.  I still can't believe that you agreed to this!  Have you already forgotten what Zaibach tried to do?"

Van looked like he was about to draw his sword.

"Will you calm down?" the room's third occupant exclaimed.  "That was over five years ago under the rule of a crazy old man.  We will meet with the new emperor and then make judgments, not before."

"But…"

"No 'buts;' as Queen of Asturia, and your senior, that's final!"

"Millerna, you're only a few months older than he…"

Dryden was interrupted as a messenger burst into the room.  He hurriedly bowed and launched into his report.  "Your Highness, your representatives of Basran and Freid are here, and the representatives of Zaibach will be here in under an hour.  The other representatives wish to begin the meeting immediately to discuss speculations as to why Zaibach has made this move."

Dryden stood.  "Thank you.  We shall begin as soon as the representatives are settled in."  The messenger quickly left the room.  Dryden turned to Van and Millerna.  "Well, let's go."

"About damn time," Van muttered under his breath.  He took a deep breath and let it out.  "Hitomi, gods, give me patience," he muttered as he followed the others out the door.

- - - - Outskirts of Asturia - - - -

"Why the hell do I have to stay in this stupid carriage?  Why does Adelphos get to ride on horseback?  And why can't we just fly?" a familiar, annoyed platinum-haired pyromaniac screeched from inside a carriage bearing the Zaibach insignia.

The carriage's only other occupant sighed.  "I told you the last three times you asked, Dilandau.  If you are seen and recognized before we reach the palace, we may be attacked.  Adelphos gets a horse as our escorts are his troops, and we cannot fly because we do not want to intimidate the other representatives of the Gaian Alliance."

"Why not?"

"Because they are on a hair trigger.  We require their help and not their hostility."

"If we can't do anything about that thing, how are those weaklings going to stop it?"

"They're not.  But they can't defend against them at least for a while.  Most mortals won't be able to do much against that Shadow for long."

"So you are going to ask your little brother to use the Escaflowne for us?"

"No, I'm going to ask Van if he can get a message to Hitomi.  If she is who I think she is, she may be the only one who can do anything to help us."

"Eh?  Who do you think she is?"

"The light needed to banish this darkness."

The carriage rolled to a stop.  A guard opened the door and held it for the two passengers.

Adelphos dismounted and strode up to it.  "M'lord, we have arrived," he said with a bow.

Folken slid out of the carriage, ignoring the cry of "Finally!" from behind him as the pyromaniac flung himself from the carriage.  "Good.  We would like an audience immediately."

Several Austrian guards approached them and escorted Folken, Dilandau and Adelphos into the palace.  As they approached the main hall, Folken could make out shouts of disapproval.

_Apparently the other representatives have started without us, _he thought.  As one of the escorts entered the hall to announce them, the talk ceased immediately.  The doors opened wide, and the three representatives of Zaibach entered.  There was silence as everyone stared at the newcomers.

The announcer cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Presenting the general of the bronze army of Zaibach, General Adelphos, the general of the head of the Platinum army and his majesty of Zaibach, Emperor Folken Stratagos." 

There was utter chaos. 

Many of the representatives were screaming at Dilandau. Allen was on his feet, looking about ready to draw his sword. People were screaming in outrage, while Van looked torn between attacking Dilandau or rushing at Folken though to attack him or to embrace him was uncertain. Dilandau looked ready for a fight and Folken was trying to remain calm. Adelphos is tense, ready to defend himself and his emperor if necessary. 

Dryden rose to his feet. "SILENCE!" he roared, startling everyone present into following the order. Everyone stared at him for King Dryden Fassa Aston never raised his voice. "That's better. Now Lord Folken, Dilandau, and Adelphos, won't you have a seat so that we may continue this meeting?" The three representatives for Zaibach sat. "Good. Now this meeting was called because Zaibach wanted to make a proposition to all of Gaia. It has also come to my attention that numerous caravans have gone missing within twenty miles of the Zaibach border, and that you three know something about that. Why don't you tell us all what you came here for? But I think that we would all appreciate for you to begin by telling us how you, Folken Lacour de Fanel Stratagos, are emperor of Zaibach instead of a member of the Fallen*." Dryden sat down and all eyes turned to Folken.

"Of course. Five years ago, as most of you know, I had left Zaibach to help you. I had recovered a fate machine from the wreckage of the Vione, and with Hitomi's help, summoned a beam of light to transport me to Dornkirk's throne room. Hitomi watched as I flew to him and slew him," Folken began, but was interrupted. 

"Flew, what do you mean flew?" A Basram official cried. 

"I am half draconian," Folken replied. 

"What? You are one of those accursed demons? Die!" The official leapt to his feet and drew his blade. Adelphos also leapt up but several Austurian guards seized the Basramian before he could lunge. "Let go of me! He is a demon! He must be killed before he curses us all," he cried, struggling.

Dryden spoke. "Lord Carnol, if you can not contain yourself, you will be imprisoned for the remainder of your stay here. Draconians are no demons, merely scapegoats, so please, sit DOWN!" Dryden was glaring at Carnol, who quickly sat down and shut up. "Please continue, Folken."

Folken nodded. "Thank you Lord Fassa. When I struck Dornkirk, who was more metal than man at the time, my sword shattered. The old man died, but I was struck by the end of my own blade and fell. I know that I died that day, and yet when I awoke, I was very much alive. The broken blade was on the floor next to me as if it had never struck me. There was no evidence of injury on my body, aside from the thin white line where I remembered the tip of the blade entering my chest. I almost passed it off from my imagination, if my blood had not stained the deadly shard that lay beside me."

"How is that possible?" Millerna exclaimed. "A wound like that should have been fatal, but it sounds like you healed from it in minutes!" 

"I believe that it was Hitomi. As I fell, I heard her; she was distraught. She had warned me of my demise, and I had gone through with it anyways. I believe that she used her abilities to revive me, although I also believe that it was unintentional. I don't think that Hitomi knew what she was doing, but those are only theories. I have no way of knowing if this theory is accurate. 

"Few people in Zaibach knew of my betrayal, but even fewer people enjoyed Dornkirk's methods. I have been his second in command, after his advisers, who had been killed at some point. After the war, I was chosen to take Dornkirk's place, and I have spent the last five years trying to repair the damage Dornkirk's idealistic methods had caused to the people. 

"Three months ago, about the same time the caravans started disappearing, a scout from the area reported a dark anomaly of some sort. I sent three small ships, a total of seventy-five people to investigate. Four men appeared on foot, telling stories of how the anomaly resembled a huge dark shadow. They spoke of how they had gotten closer to get a better view of the anomaly, and the shadow seemed to detach from the ground and flung itself at them. The shadow engulfed two of the ships, and damaged the third. The remaining ship made an emergency landing upon a ridge a couple of kilometers away from the shadow. Six people disembarked, while the rest attempted to repair the ship from the inside. Kyle, the pilot, spotted a small piece of the 'shadow' splattered on the damaged levistone. It was a tar-like substance, dripping unto the ground. Kyle poked at the substance with a stick he had broken off from a tree. The substance sprung to life and wrapped itself around the stick. It seemed to drain the life from it as the leaves shriveled up and died. Kyle yelled warning to the rest of the crew, and they came to investigate. The substance cocooned one of the soldiers, which fell to the ground. It slid off an armored skeleton, and seemed to swell. Kyle fled as the substance reduced most of his crew to skeletons and grew to over twentieth its normal size. Kyle and three others ran for three days to report this. We sent several unmanned scout drones to investigate this shadow. It appeared to consume any living matter it comes in contact with. As it eats, it is growing and spreading in every direction. Nothing we throw at it seems to slow it down. Two weeks ago, it was over forty kilometers in diameter, and by our calculations, it will reach Freid's border within a week."

"WHAT? A week? How dare you suggest that some shadow is approaching our border? Are you attempting to scare us into lowering our guard for some sort of attack from you, while we are worrying about some ludicrous idea such as that?" A Freid official cried out. 

"I'm not trying to start a panic. I am merely trying to warn you of this imminent threat," Folken said, calm as ever.

"Do you actually expect us to believe-"

"You don't have to believe us, moron," Dilandau spoke for the first time. "You can just name us liars and die when the shadow engulfs your country. Nothing seems to even slow it down, even when we burned much of it away!" Dilandau looked angry, and he was glaring at the official. 

Dryden spoke up again. "If it will please this council, I will send a scout ship to verify this story.  You are all welcome to remain here until it returns.  However, from what I have heard here Folken, you came here for help.  And yet, from what you have told us, we cannot help you.  But it sounds like you believe someone can.  Who?"  Dryden looked curiously at Folken.

At first, Folken did not speak.  He merely shifted his gaze to his younger brother.  Then, he spoke.  "Escaflowne will fare no better than Dilandau.  However, I wonder, if you had any way to contact Hitomi?"

Van broke his long silence.  "Hitomi?  What does she have to do with this?"

Folken lifted his gaze to the large windows, and the Mystic Moon that lay beyond it.  "If I'm right, absolutely everything."

 - - - - Cape Canaveral - - - -

The hanger was dark.  There was a faint glow, enough to see the other figure's outline, but not enough for Hitomi to tell where the glow was coming from.  The woman who brought Hitomi to the hanger spoke.

"First off, my name is Mercury Kala Haze.  You may call me Kala or Fenrir, whatever suits you best at the time.  To answer the rest of your questions, I will have to tell you a story.  Please hold any and all inquiries until I'm done, OK?"

"Um… sure."  Hitomi was confused, but something was telling her to trust Kala.

"Alrighty then!  You already have the memories; you just don't know how to access them yet.  You will be able to eventually, but until you can, you will probably get confused, and I'll try to straiten things out the best I can.  The story begins before the creation of Gaia.  Actually, it began at the beginning of time, but I'm picking it up at the beginning of Atlantis to shorten the story.

"Atlantis was protected by a goddess, known as the Tsubasa no Kami, the goddess of wings.  She created the people of Atlantis, and watched them develop.  She and her counterpart, the Shinigami, were created by the Universe itself in order to maintain the Balance of positive and negative energies in the Universe.  Her chosen name was Sorahikari, or Skylight.  The Sinigami's chosen name was Yamiriku, or Dark Earth, and the Two immortals stayed together where ever they went.  The two of them had chosen Earth as their home and the Atlantians as their primary people.  They lived in peace for thousands of years in their balance and harmony.  Both of the Two were capable of great destruction and great healing, but as long as their balance was not overthrown, they kept each other in check.  The Atlantians knew of the Two's power, and revered them as gods.  Over the years, the buildup of the Two's constant energy flow began to solidify, forming a small, pink gem.  The Two did not care about the crystal; they cared only about maintaining the Balance.  The Atlantians were both awed and jealous of the Two's power, so the prince of the created people approached the Two's sanctum. He asked them if they would be so kind as to grant him and his people power like theirs.  He received no answer.  The Two cared little for requests of mortals, they cared only for the Balance, thus, the prince was ignored.  Angry at the rejection, the prince tried again.  When he received the same result, he began to become frustrated.  He spotted the stone swirling within the energies, and snatched it.  The Two paid him no heed, for the gem's absence would not disrupt the Balance.  Plus, it held less than a fraction of their power, but enormous power to the Atlantians.  They used it to grant their wishes, and believed it to alter their "fate"."

Hitomi's eyes widened at this information, she said nothing.  Kala continued her story.

"Two hundred years passed, and the prince-turned-king was kept alive with the gem's power.  He became even more corrupt and greedy as he aged; he lusted for even more power.  He used the pendant to create creatures of terrible power to conquer neighboring countries and add them to his own Empire.  The Two detected this shift, but did not act out against it, for it was not a great enough threat to take their attention away from the Balance, even for a short period of time.  The Balance was precarious and must be maintained, for It was a mighty boulder and the pendant and it's creations were a fly.  But a fly could tip a boulder if placed too precariously.  The Two finally turned toward the spreading chaos and turned the minions, later known as dragons, against Atlantis.  The dragons killed most of the population of the winged people, and burned the city to the ground.  The corrupt king tried to banish the beasts, but the gem was only a battery of power, and was too weak for such a task.  Horrified, he fled to the sanctum of the Two.  He begged for forgiveness, for salvation, but was ignored once more.  After all, he was a mere mortal, the Balance was so much more important.  Furious at being abandoned by his gods, he flung the crystal at Sorahikari.  The spent gem immediately absorbed a portion of her energies to replenish itself, creating a vacuum.

"The fly became a hummingbird, and the boulder tipped.

"Surprised at the sudden difference in power, the Two were unable to maintain the Balance.  The chaos caused is what sank Atlantis and the surrounding lands into the sea.  The corrupt king was absorbed and destroyed in the swirling energies.  The Two were horrified.  The Balance was overloading, darkness would engulf everything, and then all things would cease to exist.  It would be another Big Bang.  The Two could not allow that to happen.  They had to 'shut down' the Balance before it surged, and the only way to do that was to completely remove the energies powering it: the Two themselves.  Yamiriku's power was drained away by creating Gaia, and his soul itself was sealed there.  Sorahikari used all of her remaining power to send the remaining Atlantians there, along with the Dragons and other numerous species. Yamiriku's power could be regulated by being siphoned into Gaia's core, but Sorahikari did not have that option.   In a last ditch attempt to preserve the Balance, she split her soul in two, and incorporated the now-mortal souls into the human cycle of reincarnation.  Each half of her soul would reflect the current power of Yamiriku, in order to preserve the Balance.  When the incarnation's power reached a certain level, the half-soul would regain its memories as Sorahikari.  

"The recharged gem it attracted to the source of its power, and tends to always find it's way to one of Her incarnations.  However, both of the incarnations have the same aura. So once the gem finds one, it cannot locate the other because it believes that it is already with its target.  Do you understand, Hikari?"

Hitomi stared at Kala.  Images rose in her mind, images of Atlantis.  Scenes of it's rise and fall, of it's people, of the woman standing before her.  "Yes, I remember.  A little, anyway."

"Good, because Van is trying to contact you, but is getting a busy signal.  The pendant's power is almost depleted once more, so you won't be able to establish a connection.  There's always voice mail, though.  Listen to what he has to say, and then I'll finish my thought."

Kala looked very proud of herself for thinking of voice mail.

Hitomi was quite confused, but she knew she could trust the Fenrir.  She closed her eyes and focused on Van's aura somewhere in the sky.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*= The warriors that were killed in battle were often referred to as the Fallen.

            So?  Like it?   Hate it?  Tell me!  I hope people like this.  I'm not going to post the next chapter until I get at least 12 reviews.  Cara, you and the other people who know me personally cannot review more than once per chapter.  Esca-lover, thank you for the kind welcome.  Constructive criticism is requested, so hit the little button that say "Go" and review!

Kala: If you're begging for reviews that bad, you really need to get a life.

Me: Shut up, or I'll have typhoon hang you upside-down on a flagpole and throw books at you, half-goddess or not!

Kala: Shutting up.

Me: Speaking of Typhoon, for those who have played Wild Arms 3, Typhoon looks kinda like Lombardia in flight form crossed with Escaflowne in high-speed form and a jet fighter aircraft.

One last time, please, please, PLEASE review!

Lombardia Dragoncraft


	3. Returning

Chapter Three  
Returning  
  
- - - - Asturia - - - -  
  
/Hitomi! Hitomi, can you hear me? / Van cried out in his mind. There  
was no answer. He opened his eyed and looked around. "I can't reach  
her. I haven't been able to for almost a year now." He sighed, and  
looked around. Folken, Allen, Millerna, Merle, Dryden, and Chid watched  
him. All the other representatives had left for their guest rooms. As  
Van spoke, Folken's face fell. Everyone lapsed into thought.  
Then Merle spoke up. "Hey! I have an idea! When Hitomi when Hitomi  
was looking for Lord Van and couldn't find him, Allen and I helped her!  
Maybe if we all try to reach her though the pendant, it'll work!"  
"Perhaps." Folken stated, looking mildly hopeful.  
"It's worth a shot" Van declared. "But how?"  
"Gather around the pendant," Allen commanded. Everyone formed a  
squished circle around Van. "Place your right hands together above the  
pendant and focus on Hitomi." The pendant began to swing.  
Suddenly, everyone found themselves in endless darkness. They could  
see each other fine, but nothing else was visible, not even the ground.  
The blackness seemed to extend forever in all directions.  
"What happened? Where are we?" Chid cried out, slightly fearful.  
"Hitomi?" Van called out into the abyss. His call echoed back to the  
small group.  
"I'm assuming that this has never happened before, has it?" Folken  
inquired.  
"No, I-" Van began, when a flash of light emanated from behind the  
group. They spun around, and leapt back from the strange thing that had  
appeared there.  
It almost resembled a mechanical dragon. It was slightly larger than  
any known guymelef, and its technology seemed advanced enough to put even  
Zaibach to shame. It was pale blue and white, and its crimson eyes  
seemed to see right through them. Its mechanical jaws opened, and it  
spoke in a low growling voice.  
"YOUR LONG DISTANCE CALL CANNOT BE COMPLETED DUE TO A POWER SHORTAGE.  
PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE AND TYPHOON INDUSTRIES WILL FORWARD  
YOUR MESSAGE TO THE DESIRED RECIPIANT AND HAVE THEM REPLY ASAP. THANK  
YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY. BEEEEEEEP!" The monster closed its mouth and  
spread its wing-like ears wide before it stopped moving entirely.  
"Do we just.talk?" Merle asked. Everyone just stared at the thing.  
Folken strode forward and spoke to the machine. The red crystal eyes  
followed his movements as he stopped right in front of the massive  
entity. "Hitomi, I hope you can hear me. Gaia is in trouble, and we need  
your help once more. If there is any way that you can return to us to  
aid us against this strange shadow-"  
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" The darkness shattered, and the seven people  
found themselves back in the council chamber. Everyone had fallen to the  
floor, and several guards and doctors had been trying desperately to wake  
them. Merle looked at Van and spoke.  
"I hope Hitomi got the message, because I don't think that we will be  
making another one." Van held up the pendant. It was nothing more than  
a piece of clear glass on a chain.  
  
- - - - Cape Canaveral - - - -  
  
"I can't find him!" Hitomi cried. She had been searching for Van's aura, and failing. "He could have something important to tell me!"  
Kala tilted her head, as if listening to something. "I believe he does. Don't worry, though, because Typhoon is an excellent interplanetary answering machine."  
"Typhoon?" Hitomi asked, confused.  
"Yep! I made her! She's kind of like Earth's Escaflowne, except she's much more advanced. She's even got her own soul! Isn't that right, my little Typhoony?" Kala was practically squealing, and ran further into the dark room to hug a shadow. A mechanical whirr filled the room as the faint glow grew brighter. 'Little' was hardly the word that came to mind when Hitomi saw what her companion was hugging.  
It was vaguely triangular in shape, and was hovering about two feet above the ground. There were three great engines at the rear of the strange 'craft' with several smaller maneuvering engines scattered along the hull. It was mostly pale blue and white. Hitomi was reminded of the when it had shot across the sky away from Zaibach. Its blue, blade-like wings seemed too small to support the craft's size, and looked razor sharp. What really surprised Hitomi were the six drag energists that were placed in the craft. There was one in each 'shoulder', one at the base of each wing, and two crimson eyes, that almost seemed to be watching her. Each wing seemed to be coming out of a folded arm, ending in a vicious set of curled claw. Kala was hugging two claws. A faint whirring sound came from the ships prow, which resembled a dragon head.  
"Good!" Kala chirped. Her mood swings were quite strange. "Play it back for Hitomi!"  
A deep, growling voice echoed through the hanger. "YOU HAVE ONE NEW MESSAGE." Hitomi jumped. A beep sounded, and there seemed to be muttering in the background. Then a voice rose. "Hitomi, I hope you can hear me." It began.  
"Folken?" Hitomi cried in surprise.  
"Shh!" Kala hissed. The message continued.  
"Gaia is in trouble, and we need your help once more. If there is any way that you can return to us to aid us against this strange shadow- "another beep sounded, cutting Folken's voice off.  
"Shadow?" Was that Folken? But isn't Folken dead?" Hitomi was getting tired of being confused.  
"I do not know why that shadow, one of Yamiriku's corporeal forms, has appeared again. How ever, I do know what we have to do about it. As for Folken, that's my fault. Anyway, I advise you go tell your friend that that you ran into a relative, and that you will be absent for an indeterminate amount of time. Your parents and brother will know you're gone soon, I sent them a letter. We leave for Gaia in half an hour." Kala stated, looking at Hitomi. Her expressions had gone from curios to giddy to dead serious in a matter of second. Hitomi found herself getting used to the mood shifts, and reacted only to the words.  
"Leave? I can't leave! Especially on such short notice!" She cried.  
Kala's expression shifted into a glare that made Hitomi quite uncomfortable. "You can and you will. You are needed on Gaia, and you are going if I have to drag you. What do you care about such short notice, you knew more about the dig you're working on when you first started then scientists will know about it in a hundred years. If we come back and you lose your job, big deal. I'll get you one in the Air Force. Go on, that guy you ditched is wondering where you are." Kala grinned.  
Hitomi sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll be back soon." Hitomi turned to leave, paused, and turned back. "But when I get bock, I expect some more answers."  
Kala perked up. "Sure thing, we'll have plenty of time for twenty questions on the way, 'Kari."  
Hitomi did not notice her new nickname and headed out the door.  
- - - - Josh was sitting in his car, wondering where Hitomi could be, and why she ran off like that. Just as he looked up, he saw Hitomi walking towards the car. He leapt out and ran towards her. When he reached her, questions blew out of him. "Where were you? Why did you run off? Are you okay? Did you run into anyone? Are you."  
Hitomi held up her hand to stem the flow of questions. "I saw someone I thought I knew, and I chased after her. When I finally caught up to her, she told me who she was and we spoke. I knew her well long ago. I know that I'm being cryptic, and I'm not answering all your questions, but I need you to do me a favor."  
Josh was getting uncomfortable, but was determined to help Hitomi in any way possible. "Sure. What is it?"  
"I need you to mail all my stuff at the dig to my house in Japan. I'm leaving to a place few people go, and I don't know when, or even if, I'll be back. I know this is confusing, but you have to trust me. This is very important."  
Josh opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again when he realized that Hitomi had made up her mind. "I trust you." he said.  
Hitomi nodded. "Thank you." She turned and walked away once more. Josh stared after her. Eventually, he got in is car. Had he looked back, he would have seen the most advanced fighter craft in this world and the next lift into the sky and disappear into the clouds.  
- - - - Hitomi returned to the hanger quickly. Kala was leaning against a wall with her eyes closed. As Hitomi shut the door, Kala's eyes snapped open and she looked at Hitomi with a smile. "'Kari! 'Bout time! Let's go!" Kala ran forward and grabbed Hitomi's hand. She then proceeded to drag her captive over to the hovering craft. "Oy, Typhoon! Open up!" Rib-like membranes on Typhoon's back slid apart, revealing a cockpit just behind the dragon head. Hitomi couldn't recognize any of the controls except for a pair of joysticks. Then, she noticed something else. "There's only one seat." "Ah, no problem. Typhoon, give me a co-pilot station." More of the back slid open, revealing what appeared to be a mess of tubes and wiring. As they watched, the inner workings of the craft writhed and shifted, creating a second seat behind the first. Hitomi's eyes widened. "How-how...never mind." She slid into the second seat, while Kala leapt into the first. Typhoons bock closed above them, and Hitomi found herself in pitch blackness. "Uh., Kala? It is very dark." Kala's voice filled her head. //Focus on the gathering energy several feet in front of you. // Hitomi closed her eyes and focused. When she opened them again, she was looking into the hanger. //Whoa!// //Neat, isn't it? You're looking through Typhoons eyes. You should also see two little crosshairs. There are two joysticks in front of you. Use the joysticks to control the crosshairs.//Hitomi found the joysticks and jiggled them, watching the crosshairs dart across her vision. Kala continued her tutorial. //Each button on the joysticks operates a weapon on that side of the craft. I will explain more thoroughly on the way what they do. // //Why are you giving me a weapons station? // //Because you'll need them. All righty, then, Typhoon! To Gaia!// Hitomi watched through Typhoon's eyes as they rose into the air. The hanger's roof opened up for them, and Hitomi felt a harness wrap around her torso. Typhoon lifted her nose and fired her engines. The sudden pressure crushed Hitomi into her seat, which immediately altered itself to make her more comfortable. She was finding it quite difficult to breathe. This suffocation continued as Typhoon shot through the clouds at mind-boggling speeds. Hitomi shut her eyes. Just when she thought she was going to die, the pressure lessened. She opened her eyes and gasped. The stars expanded as far as she could see. //Its.beautiful//. As soon as she 'said' that, her-Typhoons gaze shifted from the stars, and Earth filled most of Hitomi's vision. The sight took her breath away. Seeing it from Gaia or pictures in textbooks did the sight no justice in comparison to seeing it like this. Kala's voice entered her mind. //Yes. Beautiful. This is just a very, very small sample of beauty that this universe has to offer. And if the Balance is upset too greatly, all of it will be lost. I do not understand why Yamiriku has forgotten this, but it is something we must always remember.// //Remember.// Hitomi repeated, as the full weight of what could happen hit her hard. She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. //Yes. And we must not fail to remind him. //  
  
- - - - Unknown - - - -  
  
"She is coming. She will pay. But the parasites will pay first. This is my planet. I choose who lives and who dies. And they will die. They will all die for disobeying me. And then She will pay. She will pay, just as He did. And then the universe will bow to me, and the Balance itself will bend to my will. AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!  
  
..................................  
  
OK, everyone, sorry for the delay, O ye few who care. With or without reviews, it still may take me another month or more to get out the next chapter, so I'm not setting a limit this time. However, more may inspire me to work faster. See you then! 


	4. The Coming of the Storm

Chapter Four

The Coming of the Storm

- - - - Asturia - - - -

All the representatives had gathered in the main hall. The scout had returned, confirming all Folken had said. However, he had discovered something else as well.

"The shadow has stopped spreading in all directions, and instead is sending out a single stream, which is moving very fast."

"Where is it going?"

"We couldn't tell exactly, but if it continues on its current course, its heading either here or Fanelia!"

"WHAT!" That came from Van.

Folken spoke. "Something must be drawing it. It seems to kill anything it comes in contact with, and both Asturia and Fanelia are heavily populated."

Several people's faces paled. "Wherever it goes, it will be a plague unlike any other." Dryden summed up.

"We have to stop it!" Chid cried in dismay.

Millerna spoke. "But how do we stop a shadow?"

"Kill it! BURN it!"

Folken nodded. "The shadow recovered quickly from our own attacks, but the fact that we damaged it at all proves that Dilandau's suggestion is possible, but we simply no longer posses the numbers to do so. Zaibach will provide all of our available troops, few that there are, to aid whomever decides to face this threat, provided that we cannot think of another solution?"

Silence.

Dryden spoke. "Then it is agreed. All remaining troops from all allied countries shall meet to combat the shadow and drive it away. Refusal to acknowledge this call to arms will be excluded from the Gaian Alliance. Are we in agreement?" A chorus of affirmations rang through the hall. "Good."

Folken turned to the Fanelian king. "I believe that it would be beneficial for everyone if Escaflowne will join us in this fight. Will you do us this honor?"

Van clutched the empty pendant and closed his eyes. "I'll be there."

Dryden leapt up. "Alright, everyone. Based on its current speed and form, we have less than four days to assemble and engage this shadow before more innocents are lost. I advise you all to hurry." The representatives took this as their dismissal and left.

Folken stood more slowly than the other representatives. He strode outside, his black cloak billowing in the in the ocean breeze without revealing his artificial arm. He lifted his head and spoke. "Naria. Eriya. Sand a message back to Zaibach. All remaining guymelef soldiers are to proceed to the gathering point where Dilandau, Adelphos, and I will be waiting. I believe that we are in no danger here. Also, be sure to bring as much Zaibach weaponry and dragonium as possible. We will need it."

Twin hisses of "Yes, Lord Folken." reached the emperors ears, followed by a faint hum.

2 days later 

- - - - Fanelia - - - -

Van's horse was about to collapse, being driven so far so fast. Van left it at the stables, rushing back to the castle as fast as he could while the rest of his convoy struggled to catch up with him. He burst into the main hall shouting to everyone present to summon his generals to him immediately. Noting the urgency in their king's voice, several people departed rapidly to fetch them.

Van sat in his throne, trying to put on a calm façade. The attempt was failing, as Van could not keep from tapping his foot rapidly or strumming his fingers on the throne's arm. Just as Van felt as if he was going to scream, Merle and Allen burst into the room, gasping for breath.

"Van-sama, you shouldn't leave us behind like that!" Merle cried, indignant at being ditched. "You should have-"

"Merle, the shadow will be here in less than a day and a half, or in Asturia the next day. We have no time to lose." At that moment, the three generals of Fanelia strode in through to open door. Merle and Allen stepped aside to allow the three men to bow before their king.

"M'lord, for what reason have you summoned us?" One of the generals asked.

"Getna, I have summoned you here to tell you to mobilize all available troops. An unnatural threat is advancing on the area, and all available military force in the Gaian Alliance is to gather to stop it. I will be joining you in Escaflowne. Your opponent is a large Shadow creature. This may sound crazy, but I assure you, it's all true. Reports say that it kills anything it comes in direct contact with, so warn all you men to be careful. Assemble them _now;_ we have less than a full day before we must meet this danger to our people. I will awaken Escaflowne and leave for our destination in two hours. All who are ready are to follow me then. Go." Van leapt up off the throne and headed for Escaflowne's resting place, Merle and Allen following.

"Van, how do you plan on fighting? I don't think a sword or spear will do much damage to the Shadow." Allen stated, keeping pace with the king.

"I'll figure something out." He declared. They arrived at Folken's tomb. Van paused, looking at it. "I'll have to do something about this." He reached past the engraved stone, and removed Escaflowne's drag energist from an alcove carved in the monument. Energist in hand, the king strode over to where the White Dragon kneeled, covered in ivy. He pulled down the creeper plants and climbed up onto the giant's knee. He then placed the energist back in the gem where it had resided before. The White Dragon's heart began to beat once more. The cockpit opened and Van climbed in. The great guymelef stood, towering above the king's companions. Escaflowne transformed into a dragon and soared into the sky. It circled the palace as its pilot observed his men's progress. As he turned, he saw the Crusade II approaching. _Must be Allen's crew with Sheherizade. Good, we'll probably need all the help we can get._ Van informed Allen of his crew's arrival, and landed as the knight left. "Merle, while I am away, you must take care of my kingdom. Will you take this responsibility?"

Merle stood strait before her king. "I will not fail you Van-Sama. But you had better come back, you hear me!"

Van smiled. "I will, Merle."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Van turned and soared into the sky, Fanelian airships and the Crusade II following soon after.

The Fanelians arrived at their destination just before daybreak. Soldiers from Asturia, Freid, Goddeshem and Zaibach were already there. No one from Basram was present. As Escaflowne landed, Van noticed that the Zaibach guymelefs were passing out odd silvery weapons amongst those present.

"What are those weapons?" the Fanelian king asked a passing guymelef. It was one of the cat twins, though he could not tell which one.

"Normal blades and arrows have no effect against the shadow. These are heat blades, which are powered by four energists apiece and do much more damage for those who cannot shoot fire. Speaking of which..." She trailed off and, before Van had a chance to react, snatched Escaflowne's sword form its back. The feline guymelef then leapt into the air as its pilot called out, "Sister, Escaflowne is here. Dip its blade so it can fight."

To Van's horror, the silver-haired guymelef threw Escaflowne's blade toward a large vat of bubbling silver liquid. A golden-haired melef caught the spinning weapon and dipped the blade into the silvery substance. Van guided Escaflowne over to the golden sister and asked what she was doing.

Any metal not treated with dragonium will do little damage to the shadow. This mixture is made of dragon blood, fortune blood, powered energist, powered unicorn horn, and a strong sealant. When striking an enemy with a dragonium-treated weapon, a burst of energy1 is delivered along with the strike itself. The energy is what hurts the shadow, not the impact." Eriya pulled the sword out of the vat and passed it back to Escaflowne. "Give it time to cool and dry, and you'll be ready to go. Who's next, Naria?" As Naria flew toward her sister with another clawfull of weapons, Van piloted Escaflowne toward the Sheherizade, mindful of his cooling sword.

"Allen, do we know where it is?"

"The people from Zaibach are monitoring it. According to them, it will be here in less than an hour. By the way, your sword is done."

"Oh." Van sheathed Escaflowne's sword and looked out to the horizon. As Allen left to go check on his crew, several maintenance men ran up to Van and started to paint Escaflowne's outer armor with a substance similar to the dragonium. Van ignored them, and stood still as a new model of Zaibach guymelef silently glided up behind him. It resembled a gray Escaflowne crossed with a black Alsedies. It landed next to Van, and Folken's voice sounded from its cockpit.

"We have received no word from Basram. The shadow will be here soon."

Van only grunted in reply. There was silence between the two brothers for several minutes before Folken spoke again.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"That's none of your business," Van snapped.

"Perhaps, but it is never a good idea to go into battle preoccupied. You should know that by now."

Van hesitated, and then sighed. "...I'm afraid I'll never see her again. And yet, I hope I never do. She was hurt and nearly killed many times when she was here because of me, and I don't want to put her in that kind of danger again. It is better for her to stay on her own world, where it's safe."

"I don't think that's for you to decide, Van." Escaflowne turned, showing the confusion in Van's expression. Folken smiled and continued. "She has a strong will, and I don't think she would appreciate you making decisions for her. I believe that she has proven that she can take care of herself if she must. And besides, if she truly is a-" Folken was cut off as a siren pierced through the air.

The encampment became a frenzy of activity as the rising sun illuminated a writhing black mass pouring over the horizon, rushing toward them. A crimson Alsedies shot past, maniacal laughter emanating from its pilot. The shadow, as if sensing is prey, reared up like a wave of water, ready to crash down upon those who would stand against it. Dilandau fired first, a spiral of flame striking its target. All the slime touched by flame became light gray ash, falling as powder to the ground. However, the ash was quickly covered by living shadow, making Dilly's attack seem insignificant.

There were about three thousand guymelefs total from the allied countries. All of them attacked. Dragonium coated arrows rained down from afar as swords and spears sliced into the slime, scattering gray ash across the plain. Every time a section of the living darkness was felled, it was quickly replaced. The draconic paint was preventing the shadow from crushing or piercing, but it was still finding its way through gaps in its opponent's armor or face plates, leaving bare skeletons in its wake.

Van was slashing left and right, the falling ash giving Escaflowne a gray tint. The new communication system installed in the white giant was shifting from person to person, and none of what the young king heard was good.

There's too much of it!

We're being overwhelmed!

HELP M-

Van bit his lip. So many were dying, and the darkness seemed endless. Unbeknownst to the raven-haired king, Escaflowne's heart began to glow as the transmissions were changing.

It's pulling back!

We won! It's retreating!

It stopped. Why? There was a pause.

Where is king Van?

Van gasped in surprise as tendrils of darkness seized the hilt of Escaflowne's sword and snatched it away, leaving him defenseless. As he looked around, he realized that he was completely surrounded by towering walls of black slime.

"VAN!"

Van looked up. Just over the edge of the shadow he spotted Folken's guymelef facing him in the air. The shadow shifted closer, blocking his view. He didn't dare shift into his dragon mode, as that would leave his body exposed to the corrosive slime. The shadow circle began to close in. Van put up Escaflowne's hands over its face in a feeble attempt to protect himself. The shadow engulfed the white dragon making him immobile. Shadow began to seep through his face plate, cutting off his air supply. _This is it then. I'm going to die. _He closed his eyes.

Van!

Lord Van!

_I'm sorry Folken. I was never able to apologize..._

/Van!/

_Oh great, now I'm hearing things._

/VAN!/

Van opened his eyes. _Hitomi?_

Suddenly, mere millimeters from his face, the Shadow was torn away by an enormous gale. The wind was so powerful, Escaflowne was flung forward and slammed into the ground. Van brought the white dragon to its feet, looked around, and could not believe his eyes. The dark slime had been blown over 200 meters away from him, splattered along the edges of an enormous red-hot ditch path. Escaflowne stood in the middle of the ditch that seemed to reach both horizons. As he turned around, he could just make out the little patchwork army on the horizon from where he stood.

Van - - - -ear me? Folken's voice came weakly over the intercom. A- yo- -k? What - - - -pened?

Dilandau's voice followed. I - -ee –im! Several of the dots took flight and headed towards Escaflowne. Van looked around, noticing the shadows begin to re-form and come after him again. Without his sword, he could not defend himself, so he quickly shifted to dragon mode and took flight. As soon as he was airborne, streams of shadow launched themselves like crima claws at his exposed body with no time to dodge.

Another sudden wind sprang up from the opposite direction, blowing Escaflowne back to the ground. Van spotted something flash out of the corner of his eye, too quick to make out as spheres of crackling, glowing energy rained down from above and struck the shadow, spreading throughout its entire expanse and turning it to nothing but dust. A faint humming emanated from behind the white dragon so (after he shifted back to guymelef form) he turned around. There, about six meters away and slightly above Escaflowne's head, hovered a craft unlike anything Van had ever seen. It was mostly pale blue and white, had short wings and a dragon-like head. The head is what drew Van's attention, for it looked remarkably like the head of the mechanical monster from the attempt to contact Hitomi. The dragon's jaw was clamped down on Escaflowne's sword. Van stared at the craft, and it seemed to stare right back. Van heard several Zaibach guymelefs land behind him, but did not break his gaze with the blue dragon. Never once ending eye contact, Van climbed out of Escaflowne and strode toward the new craft while the red crystal eyes seemed to follow his movements.

A strange hissing noise emanated from behind the blue dragon's head, and something moved over its shoulder. A figure climbed up onto the dragon's head and waved wildly.

"Van are you all right?"

Van's eyes widened. "Hitomi? Hitomi!"

Hitomi crept up to the edge of the dragon's nose, looked down and spoke. "Typhoon, Kala, you can stop staring at Van now. Can you possibly let me down?" The red crystal eyes didn't move, but long silver tendrils whipped out of the back of the head. One of the metallic appendages wrapped securely around Hitomi's waist and lowered her to the ground. She then ran over to the Fanelian king and hugged him. "Van, I'm so glad you're all right. I was afraid that the shadow got to you, that we wouldn't get here in time!" she cried as she let go. Van was in shock, and no longer registering anything. Hitomi noticed this, and gave him time to process her abrupt appearance as she turned to the small group that had collected behind him. "Folken? Naria? What are you doing here? Make no mistake, it's good to see you, but aren't you, well, dead?"

A look of surprise crossed Folken's face. "Was it not you who resurrected us?" The crystal eyes were staring at him now.

"No, I couldn't-," Hitomi began before a new voice called out, interrupting her.

"Folken Stratagos? Naria? Eriya? " The strange craft dropped Escaflowne's sword with a loud clang, startling everyone. A flash of movement was spotted behind the blue dragon's head before a young woman leapt the ten meters to the ground, landed hard on her feet, and ran up to Folken. She stopped just in front of the Zaibach emperor and looked him dead in the eye. She stayed perfectly still for a good five minutes as no one moved. A large grin then broke across her face, and she seized mechanical in her own and shook it firmly. Folken was shocked that he could not break free of her grip. "Folkie-sama! I see that you have recovered from your death well. Good, good! How are your wings? They should be at least light gray by now, as most of the artificial blood should have been replaced with natural blood by now." She spoke too quickly for Folken to reply. She released his claw, leapt over to the cat twins and grabbed one of their forearms with each hand and firm grip. Naria, Eriya, I see that you are doing well also." She released the twins quickly and turned back to Folken. "And to answer your question whether or not it was directed at me, 'Kari here did not resurrect you. She rules all things spiritual; the physical plane of existence is my territory. I revived both you and your cats. Before anyone could say anything to the woman, she was standing in front of Dilandau, looking down impassively.

The pyromaniac was getting uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and clutched the hilt of his sword. When the bright green gaze continued to bore into his skull, he could no longer keep his thoughts to himself.

"What are you looking at? Who the hell are you, anyway? Get out of my face!"

The newcomer's face twisted into a frown. Her eyes narrowed, and she retorted to the rude exclamation.

"Is it not custom on this world to give your own name and title before inquiring that of others, demi-ifrit?"

"What...? How dare you! I am Dilandau Albatau, General of the Platinum army of Zaibach! I am one of the most powerful-," he was cut off as she seized his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Dillyfrit! You may call me Fenrir, the wind wolf." She danced backwards, knocking van over in the process. "Pleased to meet you all; Folkie-sama, Goldie, Silver, Dillyfrit. Kari, I gotta recharge Typhoon. Meet you in a while!" Fenrir sprang 10 meters straight up onto the craft and slipped inside. Seconds later, another huge gust struck the group, and the blue dragon was gone. The wind snapped Van out of his stupor, and everyone looked at Hitomi.

She chuckled nervously. "Well, Fenrir can be a little...eccentric at times, I suppose. Can someone give me a lift so you can explain what the message you sent me was about?"

.......................................................................................................

1 an electric shock

Ha! This story is not dead! Did I get Dilandau's last name right? Oh, and if Hitomi seems to know too much or is too familiar with Kala/Fenrir, keep in mind that her 'divine' memories are slowly returning to her, so she views Fenrir as a sister.


End file.
